4 of the Most Dangerous Myths About Washing Your Hands

Becker’s ASC Review, January 2011, reveals nine widely held myths about washing your hands. Here are four of them:

1) Hot water is better than cold water for effective hand washing:

2) Scientists have found that various temperatures had “no effect on transient or resident bacterial reduction.” Not only does hot water not show any benefit, but also it might increase the “irritant capacity” of some soaps, causing dermatitis.

3) Hand sanitizers kill germs more effectively than soap:
Using alcohol-based hand-hygiene products is in general not more effective than washing your hands with plain soap and water.

4) Frequent hand washing or use of hand sanitizers promotes healthy skin:
In fact, contact dermatitis can develop from frequent and repeated use of hand hygiene products, exposure to chemicals and glove use.

Soap with triclosan is an effective antimicrobial for hand washing:

The results of a recent study showed that an antibacterial soap containing triclosan did not provide any additional benefit to a non-antibacterial soap. Concerns have been raised about the use of triclosan because of the potential development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and that antibacterial soaps are said to be tied to a growing public health crisis.

Proper hygiene does NOT require you to use harsh antibacterial agents, which can cause far more harm than good, both in the long- and short-term.

Washing your hands is your number one protection against the acquisition and spread of infectious disease without the need for antimicrobial soap.

Antibacterial soaps do not kill viruses. People who used regular soaps have no greater risk of developing symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea, which may be caused by bacteria, than those who used antibacterial products. So, the rational conclusion is antibacterial soaps are completely unnecessary for the purpose of washing away bacteria.

It has been repeatedly shown that washing your hands with plain soap and water can kill germs that cause:

The common cold

Influenza

Pneumonia

Hepatitis A

Acute gastroenteritis

Stomach infections such as salmonella, campylobacter and norovirus.

Other contagious illnesses and surgical wound complications, including MRSA

4 of the Most Dangerous Myths About Washing Your Hands

Becker’s ASC Review, January 2011, reveals nine widely held myths about washing your hands. Here are four of them:

Hot water is better than cold water for effective hand washing:

Scientists have found that various temperatures had “no effect on transient or resident bacterial reduction.” Not only does hot water not show any benefit, but also it might increase the “irritant capacity” of some soaps, causing dermatitis.

Hand sanitizers kill germs more effectively than soap:

Using alcohol-based hand-hygiene products is in general not more effective than washing your hands with plain soap and water.

In fact, contact dermatitis can develop from frequent and repeated use of hand hygiene products, exposure to chemicals and glove use.

Soap with triclosan is an effective antimicrobial for hand washing:

The results of a recent study showed that an antibacterial soap containing triclosan did not provide any additional benefit to a non-antibacterial soap. Concerns have been raised about the use of triclosan because of the potential development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and that antibacterial soaps are said to be tied to a growing public health crisis.

Proper hygiene does NOT require you to use harsh antibacterial agents, which can cause far more harm than good, both in the long- and short-term.

Washing your hands is your number one protection against the acquisition and spread of infectious disease without the need for antimicrobial soap.

Antibacterial soaps do not kill viruses. People who used regular soaps have no greater risk of developing symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea, which may be caused by bacteria, than those who used antibacterial products. So, the rational conclusion is antibacterial soaps are completely unnecessary for the purpose of washing away bacteria.

It has been repeatedly shown that washing your hands with plain soap and water can kill germs that cause:

The common cold

Influenza

Pneumonia

Hepatitis A

Acute gastroenteritis

Stomach infections such as salmonella, campylobacter and norovirus.

Other contagious illnesses and surgical wound complications, including MRSA.

How to wash your Hands

To make sure you’re actually removing the germs when you wash your hands:

Use warm water

Use a mild soap

Work up a good lather, all the way up to your wrists, for at least 20 seconds

Make sure you cover all surfaces, including the backs of your hands, wrists, between your fingers, and around and below your fingernails

Rinse thoroughly under running water

Dry your hands with a clean towel or let them air dry

In public places, use a paper towel to open the door as a protection from germs that the handles may harbor.

Your skin is actually your primary defence against bacteria, not the soap; so resist the urge to become obsessive about washing your hands. Over-washing can easily reduce the protective oils in your skin (especially in the winter and dry desert environments) and cause your skin to crack—offering easy entry for bacteria and viruses into your body.

Instead, simply wash your hands when they look dirty, and prior to, or after, performing certain tasks that could spread infection, such as:

Before and after preparing food, especially when handling raw meat and poultry

Before eating

Before and after treating wounds or taking/giving medicine

Before touching a sick or injured person

Before inserting contact lenses

After using the toilet or changing a nappy

After touching an animal, its toys, leashes, or waste

After blowing your nose or coughing/sneezing into your hands

After handling garbage or potentially contaminated waste.

Traditional soap will not harm your health, other than perhaps dry your skin if used too frequently, whereas antibacterial products like triclosan comes with an array of potentially dangerous side effects.

In a recent press release, Dr Sarah Janssen of the Natural Resources Defence Council (USA) is quoted as saying:

“It’s about time FDA has finally stated its concerns about antibacterial chemicals like triclosan. The public deserves to know that these so-called antibacterial products are no more effective in preventing infections than regular soap and water and may, in fact, be dangerous to their health in the long run.”

The idea that “clean” equals sterile is not based in reality. A massive, highly profitable marketing campaign has been created based on the premise that germs must be eradicated and that they’re hard to kill.

As a result, many, particularly the younger generations, have been brainwashed into believing that regular soap isn’t good enough; you need that “magic ingredient” that will ensure your safety and cleanliness. Unfortunately, you’re just paying extra for the privilege of having been hoodwinked by slick advertising.

Antibacterial Soap and Cancer

As if that wasn’t enough, when triclosan mixes with the chlorine in your tap water, chloroform is formed, which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified as a probable human carcinogen.

In tests that closely mirror typical dishwashing habits and conditions, researchers have found that triclosan reacts with free chlorine to generate more than 50 parts per billion (ppb) of chloroform in your dishwater. And, when combined with other disinfection byproducts (DBPs), the additional chloroform could easily drive the concentration of total trihalomethanes above the EPA’s maximum allowable amount.

Trihalomethanes are some of the most dangerous chemical byproducts there are. The maximum annual average of THMs in your local water supply cannot exceed 80 ppb (parts-per-billion), but there really is no “safe” level of these chemicals.

Trihalomethanes (THMs) are Cancer Group B carcinogens, meaning they’ve been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals. Disinfection byproducts (DPBs) have also been linked to reproductive problems in both animals and humans.

Furthermore, once these antimicrobial chemicals flow down your drain, they contaminate the environment and become part of the food chain. Researchers have determined that about 75% of another popular antimicrobial, triclocarban (TCC), resists water treatments meant to break it down and ends up in surface water and in municipal sludge used as fertilizer.

TCC is also known to cause cancer and reproductive problems.

So, the release of antimicrobials into the environment is yet another way that these products contribute to the increase in resistance of pathogens to clinical antibiotics.
Simple Solution

So please, avoid using antibacterial soaps and other products containing these hazardous ingredients. They’re harming you, the environment, and adding to a significant public health problem. They also cost more.

Instead, just use a gentle, chemical-free soap. Local health food stores typically carry a variety of natural soaps that will do the trick without harsh chemicals.

Mindfulness is a core skill that is utilized in therapy by Dr Jennifer Rathjen.

Mindfulness is the act of deliberately paying attention in a particular way. It involves bringing attention into the present moment and being non judgemental. Mindfulness helps us become aware of the full range of our experiences, including sensory impressions, thoughts, imagery, emotions, urges and impulses.

When engaging in mindfulness we do not judge either the content or the processes of our mind and we become freer to observe the contents of our thoughts without being reactive to them. Often we try to distract ourselves from unpleasant thoughts and feelings. This is a form of avoidance and research shows that avoidance creates more problems. Mindfulness allows us to stay present to the unpleasant thought or feeling for its natural duration without feeding or repressing it.

Mindfulness interventions have been demonstrated to be beneficial for a number of psychological and physical conditions such as chronic pain, depression, anxiety, addictions and personality disorder. Research has shown that after only eight weeks of mindfulness practice, positive changes in brain function and immune response occur.

Mindfulness can be developed to the point where it can be practiced in the middle of stressful situations. While being mindful we can be alert and respond appropriately to the situation at hand.

Recent Newsletter

Recent Comments

About Us

Nature Care Wholistic and Medical Centre, nestled in Alexander St Crows Nest. In our centre we offer you choice.We have a broad range of medical, allied and alternative health professionals, combining traditional, modern, high tech, eastern and western methods. In addition we have both formal and informal ways we work together collaboratively for your benefit. Read More